next day, and had managed to bum a ride with Stacy into the office on the following day, saying she wanted to get there early even though they both knew there was no reason to. She'd spent the day coding, partially because she didn't want to disappoint the girls, but mostly because she didn't want to deal with Adam.
Her cheeks still burned just remembering how she'd acted. And, frankly, how he'd felt underneath her . I took off my sweater, she remembered. But instead of more embarrassment, she remembered the feel of his chest. His lips--holy hell, what that man could do with his mouth and tongue was ridiculous.
And then his ex-girlfriend had called.
"I still love you, too." That's what he'd said.
She winced and focused back on the computer screen.
Making out with Adam hadn't meant anything. They were both lonely, it was the New Year. They were emotional. Hell, she hadn't had sex in three years, so she was basically a time bomb. It could've happened with anyone, and she should be grateful it wasn't Fezza or José Yao. That would've been a walk to shame to end all walks of shame.
So, yeah, they'd made out. Now, they'd just downshift back to co-workers and roommates. Easy-peasy.
Riiiiight.
She rubbed at her temples. What's worse, Adam was right. There was absolutely no way they could code even a simple game in time for the deadline. Not with just the two of them, anyway. And when she'd emailed the engineering team Adam's production schedule for her project, she'd gotten absolutely no replies.
She thought about agoraphobic Cressida, and Hailey. About Rachel. About her new friends. She was the one who had proposed this cockamamie scheme. Now she felt responsible, and she didn't want to fail them.
Which meant she had to get the guys from engineering on board by any means necessary.
The guys were in the break room, lounging on the couches, playing the latest Mortal Kombat . There was still the leftover feel of the holidays--true work wouldn't probably begin for another week or so, and in a few months, they''d be in the crunch. They were taking advantage of the break until new assignments were handed down.
She marched in front of the TV, ignoring their jeers and shouts to move.
"I need your help with this game," she said.
"I need you to move the hell out of the way," Abraham growled.
"You never answered my email!"
"That wasn't a production schedule, that was a pipe dream," he shot back. "It's impossible."
"I thought you guys were supposed to be awesome, kick ass coders," she said, hoping that a cattle prod to the pride might jump-start them into action. "Sure, it''s two weeks. But it's only four levels. Jeez, I'd think you alone could do it in your sleep, Abraham!"
He glared at her. She glared back.
"I could," he said, his expression surly. "But I don't want to. That's the difference."
"It would take an insane marathon," Fezza said, more gently.
"And no offense, but I don't want to make a game based on some lame TV show about a bunch of male models trying to fight crime or whatever," José added.
"They don't fight crime, they fight evil aliens ," she shouted, balling her hands into fists. She stopped herself, forcing herself to calm down.
Rodney surprised her. "It's actually about these three brothers who fight these alien replicants who basically have this tech that looks like magic. The Mystics been around for centuries and they used to be Druids. It''s sort of fantasy/sci-fi mixed."
Abraham, José, Fezza and Tessa all stared at him.
"What?" Rodney said stiffly. "I like it. Screw you guys."
She realized she wasn't going to get anywhere with this argument. With the possible exception of Rodney, they were all dead set against her.
It was time to make a truly desperate plea.
"All right. I will do just about anything to get your help," she said. "I promised some friends that I'd get this done. I told you about that. I don't want to let them down. So what is it going to take to get you guys to help me
Her cheeks still burned just remembering how she'd acted. And, frankly, how he'd felt underneath her . I took off my sweater, she remembered. But instead of more embarrassment, she remembered the feel of his chest. His lips--holy hell, what that man could do with his mouth and tongue was ridiculous.
And then his ex-girlfriend had called.
"I still love you, too." That's what he'd said.
She winced and focused back on the computer screen.
Making out with Adam hadn't meant anything. They were both lonely, it was the New Year. They were emotional. Hell, she hadn't had sex in three years, so she was basically a time bomb. It could've happened with anyone, and she should be grateful it wasn't Fezza or José Yao. That would've been a walk to shame to end all walks of shame.
So, yeah, they'd made out. Now, they'd just downshift back to co-workers and roommates. Easy-peasy.
Riiiiight.
She rubbed at her temples. What's worse, Adam was right. There was absolutely no way they could code even a simple game in time for the deadline. Not with just the two of them, anyway. And when she'd emailed the engineering team Adam's production schedule for her project, she'd gotten absolutely no replies.
She thought about agoraphobic Cressida, and Hailey. About Rachel. About her new friends. She was the one who had proposed this cockamamie scheme. Now she felt responsible, and she didn't want to fail them.
Which meant she had to get the guys from engineering on board by any means necessary.
The guys were in the break room, lounging on the couches, playing the latest Mortal Kombat . There was still the leftover feel of the holidays--true work wouldn't probably begin for another week or so, and in a few months, they''d be in the crunch. They were taking advantage of the break until new assignments were handed down.
She marched in front of the TV, ignoring their jeers and shouts to move.
"I need your help with this game," she said.
"I need you to move the hell out of the way," Abraham growled.
"You never answered my email!"
"That wasn't a production schedule, that was a pipe dream," he shot back. "It's impossible."
"I thought you guys were supposed to be awesome, kick ass coders," she said, hoping that a cattle prod to the pride might jump-start them into action. "Sure, it''s two weeks. But it's only four levels. Jeez, I'd think you alone could do it in your sleep, Abraham!"
He glared at her. She glared back.
"I could," he said, his expression surly. "But I don't want to. That's the difference."
"It would take an insane marathon," Fezza said, more gently.
"And no offense, but I don't want to make a game based on some lame TV show about a bunch of male models trying to fight crime or whatever," José added.
"They don't fight crime, they fight evil aliens ," she shouted, balling her hands into fists. She stopped herself, forcing herself to calm down.
Rodney surprised her. "It's actually about these three brothers who fight these alien replicants who basically have this tech that looks like magic. The Mystics been around for centuries and they used to be Druids. It''s sort of fantasy/sci-fi mixed."
Abraham, José, Fezza and Tessa all stared at him.
"What?" Rodney said stiffly. "I like it. Screw you guys."
She realized she wasn't going to get anywhere with this argument. With the possible exception of Rodney, they were all dead set against her.
It was time to make a truly desperate plea.
"All right. I will do just about anything to get your help," she said. "I promised some friends that I'd get this done. I told you about that. I don't want to let them down. So what is it going to take to get you guys to help me
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